The Transparent Tarot: (2nd Edition, Tarot Kit Box Set with 78 Cards and Guide Book)

Previous reviewers have done a great job in describing the physical aspects of the deck so I won't go into that in too much detail. Emily has broken new ground in the tradition of tarot, and has possibly played a key part in taking it well and truly into the 21st century with this deck. The idea when it was first discussed on a tarot forum did not really inspire me. The cards looked too plain and I could not see what the fuss was about. Eventually discussions led me to at least give it a try, and I am pleased I did. When the cards arrived I was struck by the heftiness and solid feel of them. There is a sense they will stand the test of time and fairly heavy use. The white cloth is an asset, as the images would not leap out and input on the senses otherwise. The accompanying book is well written and insightful, but it is clear Emily sees the process as only now beginning. The experiences of each of us who use this deck really do add to that sense of learning and also wonderment, which she is very willing to share in. This deck is not intended to be used in the same way as traditional decks, so in that respect it does take a leap of faith, and a willingness to open the mind and just experiment. It was this aspect I thought I would struggle with (being incredibly set in my ways having read cards for 12 years), yet it is that aspect I am finding the most enjoyable. The cards on their own do look bland for sure. It is possible to read them in a film strip formation, similar to how a lot of traditional decks are, but it is when they are used on top of each other they really come alive. As soon as one card is overlayed another, there is a sense of a story unfolding. By laying 3 or 4 cards in this way, an issue can be examined in quite a bit of detail. As an aside, the cards do not have to be overlayed neatly on top of each other to get any great effect. I have layered them corner over corner and also mirror imaged cards at times. This alone may show the issue is forthcoming or could lay in the past. So, are there any negatives? Well, some of the images are quite small, but in fairness I understand the reasoning for this. If all were the same size, when overlayed it would just look a mess. However they can sometimes give the impression of having a lesser energy due to being overshadowed by larger images and it will take a bit of experience or adaptability to bring that energy to the fore if that makes sense. Also, some of the courts do look a little similar, and if you are one of those who finds court cards a little difficult to get to grips with, this deck will not make that process any easier. Having said that, I still have no hesitation in giving this deck a star rating of 5, and would highly recommend it to anyone. The readings I have done with it to date have been incredibly accurate and detailed. Some of that detail would not have been apparent with traditional decks. If you are willing to take risk on something very different, you will reap the rewards for sure.

This is a very cool deck! My first impression was that this thing is really, unexpectedly heavy. On opening, I found that a good part of that unexpected weight was the book. No little white booklet, this; it’s a pretty hefty tome, lots of details, both for insight into the intent behind the individual art of the cards in this deck and for interpretation of tarot in general. Seriously, it’s very thorough. The only “particular quirk” is that it groups the cards of the Minor Arcana by number (aces of all four suits together, followed by 2s of all four suits, followed by 3s, etc) which is unusual enough in my experience to trip me up when I try to reference the book, but there is a value in that organization, I think, and I imagine I’ll get used to it. I’m including pics so you can see roughly the size and shape of everything. The cards are set in the cardboard box behind the book, with a simple white tarot cloth taking up the other half of the box. My box was damaged in shipping, some corners were a little smashed, and one entire corner was torn from top to bottom. I don’t really mind because the cards and book are good but I would have looked into a return/exchange if this had been a gift, so beware of that if the condition of the box matters to you. (My deck was shipped in a shipping envelope with no extra protection or padding at all, so clearly the tarot box itself took the full brunt of shipping.) I don’t have tons of space and I prefer decks that come in boxes that just fit the deck and booklet, rather than large ‘collector’ boxes with large books, but in this case I did find this packaging kind of charming, damage aside. I didn’t even know it was going to come with a tarot cloth but it was a cool thing to include to fill out the larger box. All of that said: the deck itself. It’s really cool and completely lives up to my hopes for it. Other reviews mention people having to wash off some sort of factory residue, which I was braced for, but my cards didn’t have any of that. They’re thicker and heavier than most cards because they’re plastic and the edges are a little rough, but they shuffle just fine. There is a slight bow to them already that I don’t love but it’s not a deal breaker. The top surface of the cards is textured/roughened, unlike the slick undersides, but they are completely transparent from both sides. The art is simple and clearly printed, which makes it easy to combine cards, which I think is the main attraction of this deck. My hope for it was to combine cards from this deck with cards from some of my other decks, to let the transparent cards alter the images and meanings of others. I’m attaching some pics of that too; so far, I think the samples I pulled looked great with bright, saturated cards and with paler, simple cards, but they did get a little lost against really detailed art in midrange colors. So far, I love them!

Really really helps to improve your tarot interpretations. Basically opened another door for me.

as l said love the deck, but unfortunately the cards have a bend in them the clear plastic in the box was scratched up and the box has been damaged through transportation very dissapointed. how much money l spent and it wasn't bubbled wrapped and protected. l have been eying off this deck for 3 years and trying to justify spending so much money. oh well just a heads up if you are going to invest your money, as l said love the deck, love love love it congratulations to Emily Carding.

The set is amazing, it’s so versatile, quality is superb. I received the card deck and the book as shown in the image

De är helt fantastiska! Man kan lägga de ovanpå varandra och skapa ett helt nytt bild

一目見た瞬間に「これはすごい！」と感じた、全カードが透明というとてもユニークなタロットデッキです。 一枚で読むこともできますが、カードを重ねて組み合わせることで、まったく新しいメッセージが浮かび上がってくる構造に驚かされます。リーディングの幅がぐっと広がるぶん、慣れるまでは戸惑う部分もありますが、それもまた楽しみのひとつ。 使い方に少しコツが必要で、「直感」と「観察力」を同時に鍛えられるような印象。普通のタロットとは異なる感覚でカードと向き合うことになります。 個人的にはまだ読み込みの途中ですが、自由に発想を広げながらカードと対話できる“遊びと深さ”が同居した、とてもおもしろいデッキだと感じています。 新しいタロット表現にふれたい方や、いつものリーディングに変化を加えたい方にはぜひ一度体験してほしいデッキです。